National Museum of American History

HIGHLIGHTS REPORT 2011

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

National Museum of American History

HIGHLIGHTS REPORT 2011

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

JOHN GRAYThe Elizabeth MacMillan Director

“Everything changes, nothing is lost.”

This saying is particularly relevant to history museums. At the National

Museum of American History, we are not ”saving the past” as it has not

disappeared, but we are celebrating, probing and understanding the past,

with the best intentions of understanding it.

As the ninth director of this incredible national museum, I take this job

very seriously, and am also keenly aware that it is our past and our future,

together, that has to be integrated into this American story and shared.

Our history, like all histories, has many stories, many peoples, many periods

and many dreams. It is not a simple story and must be told with vigor, and

honesty. And to present history, we must translate it into an active, not

passive, visitor experience while always keeping to the highest standard of

care for the collection and our mission.

First, we are a museum about time and chronology. Our visitor both expects

and deserves context for stories, artifacts, and ideas. And we have to find

a better way to provide history education to many who do not already

understand or know the basics of our historic narrative.

Secondly, we are a museum where artifacts, and the stories emanating from

these objects, get told. We have the preeminent collection in the country

about the American people and we are both compelled and challenged to

use these objects brilliantly and with great respect.

If there is anything that we must do, it is to focus on the visitor experience:

what they see, what they hear, and what they feel and even what they

taste. And to do that for our larger public, for those who walk through

our doors in the nation’s capital, for those who hope to visit here in

person and for those who experience the Museum through the many

ways we reach beyond our walls: on the Web, in Smithsonian magazine,

on Smithsonian Channel, within books, via electronic field trips, through

teacher outreach, loans to Smithsonian Affiliates and other museums and

traveling exhibitions.

I invite you to move forward with us, embracing change while working to

express and present our shared history, as nothing is lost.

JOHN F. W. ROGERSBoard ChairDuring my tenure as Chairman of the Board of the National Museum of

American History, I had the pleasure of building on a foundation laid by a

generation of passionate preservationists and gifted historians: Founding

Board Chairman the Honorable Ivan Selin; Pete Claussen; and the late Dick

Darman, whose visionary work and role on the Blue Ribbon Commission was

the catalyst for the Museum’s renovation, and without whose engagement I

never would have been involved in this great institution. It is my honor to pass

the torch on to new leadership and to a cadre of strong individuals who are

equally devoted to both the continued growth of our work together and to an

unyielding focus on the Museum’s important mission for the generations to

come. I look forward to continuing to work with them as a Board member.

The central thread that runs through the fabric of my experience as chairman

remains the incredible people with whom I have been so fortunate to

collaborate. I have found these colleagues to be defined by an undiminished

sense of purpose and a consistency of spirit that has helped to influence

the evolving face and practice of preservation. There are simply too many

individuals to mention in full, but I do want to thank Brent Glass, whose near-

decade tenure as Director of the Museum consistently garnered my respect.

Of course, the Museum’s many achievements over the past years would

not have been possible but for the wellspring of knowledge and tireless

commitment of the dedicated staff. Every day, these patriots help to bring

a real sense of the American experience to the fore, making it relevant to

our everyday consciousness. In so doing, they bring meaning and color to

the history of our nation. The educational programs and exhibits they have

conceptualized and developed have become models not only for other

Smithsonian museums, but also for museums around the world.

The Museum is, in a very real sense, a sanctum for reflection and a place for

gratitude and quiet awe. The objects here and the collective stories they tell

remind us that adversity doesn’t pass; it is overcome. Innovation isn’t conjured

from the empty air; it is bred of human creativity and human effort. Injustice

doesn’t disappear; it is conquered. History does not just happen; people make

it. And all who have been a part of the Museum’s effort to protect and preserve

what has happened in the past are part of the equally important undertaking of

preparing for what is yet to come.

Ours is famously an optimistic country. And that optimism is on proud display

within the walls of our National Museum. I stand grateful to have had the

opportunity to serve the Museum, and the nation, as Chairman of the Board, and

look with equal optimism toward the work the next generation will do to further

build out the narrative of our country. And as they say–the rest, is history.

John Gray began his appointment as director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on July 23, 2012.

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

This exhibition in the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery focused on a remarkable, little-

known book from the early 19th century: a private text Jefferson assembled in 1820

and called The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. His aim was to tell a chronological

version of the life of Jesus, distilling his moral teachings and excluding those aspects that

appeared to him “contrary to reason.”

Bound in Morocco leather with gold tooling, this volume was constructed like a

scrapbook. Jefferson cut passages from the New Testament in four languages and

glued them onto blank folios in columns.

After nearly 200 years, the book required extensive conservation. The pages were stiff

and the tight binding led to cracking and tearing of the pages. Conservators cleaned

and stabilized the book, mended damaged pages and rebound the folios into the

original cover.

Smithsonian Books released a full-color reproduction with essays by Museum

historians Harry Rubenstein and Barbara Clark Smith and conservator Janice

Stagnitto Ellis.

Smithsonian Channel produced Jefferson’s Secret Bible, telling the extraordinary story of

this book and the intricate conservation work.

September 11, 2001, is remembered as one of the most

shocking and infamous days in American history. Soon

after, the Museum began collecting objects, ephemera,

film and photographs from the disaster sites and

Congress designated it as the official repository.

No other collection exists of this breadth and depth.

To mark the tenth anniversary, the Museum presented

a contemplative space to remember and reflect in a

unique blend of public program and simple display.

Fifty historical objects saved from New York City, the

Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as well as

recent acquisitions related to how American lives have

changed, were shown on tables along with photographs

for context. Staff and volunteers were available to

discuss the objects with visitors. The display was only

available for nine days yet was visited by 12,573 people.

Through public relations efforts and a documentary, the

Museum extended the reach to 15 million.

The Museum partnered with the Smithsonian Channel to

produce 9/11: Stories in Fragments to tell the stories of the

objects and the personal stories of their donors through

a unique lens for national audiences.

THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BIBLE: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

SEPTEMBER 11: Remembrance and Reflection

Jefferson’s Bible is made from twelve different types of

paper, six different printing inks, and at least three different

home-mixed iron gall ink recipes.

The collection consists of more than

1,000 photographs and 300 objects from

all three sites.

“ I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know.” —Thomas Jefferson, 1819

Curator Harry Rubenstein and conservator Janice Stagnitto Ellis

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

JANUARY

Avedon: The Kennedys 50 Years Ago

Race to the Museum: The 1929 Miller race car and 1948 Tucker sedan

FEBRUARY

Sweet & Sour: A Look at the History of Chinese Food in the United States

MARCH

COBOL: Celebrating 50 Years of Computer Programming Language

APRIL

So Much Need of Service: The Diary of a Civil War Nurse

MAY

HIV and AIDS Thirty Years Ago

JUNE

For All The World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights in the National Museum of African American History and Culture Gallery

JULY

Good as Gold: America’s Double Eagles (Chicago)

Have You Heard the One…? The Phyllis Diller Gag File

SEPTEMBER

Remembering September 11th

OCTOBER

Electrifying Cars

Frank Kameny: Celebrating the Legacy of a LGBTQ Activist

NOVEMBER

Jefferson’s Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

The First Ladies

Gift of the Artist: Photographers as Donors

EXHIBITION Openings

For Race to the Museum, 24,000 voted online to select

historic cars for exhibition. The winners were the

1929 Miller race car and the 1948 silver Tucker sedan.

The original First Ladies exhibition from 1914 was the first at the Smithsonian to prominently feature women.

The idea behind using electricity as a power

source for cars is more than 100 years old.

President Kennedy and daughter Caroline by Richard Avedon

Columbia electric car, 1904

Mary Lincoln’s gown, believed to have been made by African American dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

Events and Programs

JANUARY

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Family Festival

To The Mountaintop—The Words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lift Your Voice

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Septet on Tour: “The Music of Johnny Hodges”

FEBRUARY

Day of Remembrance: 442: Live with Honor, Die with Dignity

Seizing Justice: The Greensboro Four

The Afro-Latin@ Reader: a Panel Discussion

The 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides

National Youth Summit

Freedom Riders, a film by Stanley Nelson

Sing Out! Songs of Freedom

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra: Big Band Jazz Revival

APRIL

Jazz Appreciation Month performances, displays, talks and more

MAY

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Family Day Celebration

The Legacy of Operation Pedro Pan: A Round Table Conversation

JUNE

Flag Day Naturalization Ceremony

National History Day

AUGUST

September 11: Teaching Contemporary History Online Conference

SEPTEMBER

A Conversation with “Latin Bombshell” Diosa Costello

Living History Theater: La Buena Vida

From Haiti: Les Petits Chanteurs and Chamber Ensemble

NOVEMBER

Inventing American Photography Lecture Series

PROGRAMS, Education & Outreach

Offering free, standards-based, innovative resources for

teaching and learning history. historyexplorer.si.edu

Ongoing Demonstrations, Music and Theater Programs

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society:

Masterworks of Four Centuries

Axelrod String Quartet

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra & Small Groups

Heirloom Garden & Victory Garden Tours

Quilting Demonstration

Lace-Making Demonstration

Broad Stripes and Bright Stars

Time Trial of John Brown

Book signings

Flag Folding

Online Presence

• 12.8 million visits to Museum websites in fiscal year 2011

• 23,000 e-newsletter subscribers

• 36,751 Twitter followers (@americanhistorymuseum)

• 30,320 Facebook fans (facebook.com/americanhistory)

• 27,000 visits per month to the Museum’s blog (blog.americanhistory.si.edu)

• 288,000 views of the Museum’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/smithsonianamhistory)

• 1,700 Museum photos and 3,500 visitor photos posted to the Museum’s Flickr group (flickr.com/photos/nationalmuseumofamericanhistory)

New Americans are sworn in during a special Flag Day citizenship ceremony

The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra tours Russia

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

COLLECTIONS & Acquisitions

JULY

Smithsonian collects objects from the television drama Rescue Me

Phil Lesh donates “Eye of Horus” bass guitar

AUGUST

Explore the National Quilt Collection video release

SEPTEMBER

Museum receives objects from Peace Corps’ first half century

Sweet Stuff: An American History Of Sweeteners From Sugar To Sucralose by Deborah Jean Warner book release

OCTOBER

Grammy-winning jazz artist Esperanza Spalding donates performance dress

Kelly Slater donates winning surfboard

DECEMBER

Smithsonian, Library of Congress and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory partnership presents a first listen to the 1884 experimental sound recordings of Alexander Graham Bell

Selected Events

JANUARY

Museum collects Tony Hawk skateboard

Baldknobbers, a country music comedy show from Branson, MO, donate costumes and instruments

FEBRUARY

Museum receives objects from Farrah Fawcett’s career

Eddie Van Halen donates “Frankenstein Replica” guitar

MARCH

Gene Tunney’s son donates boxing gloves from “The Long Count” fight

International Sweethearts of Rhythm donate objects from their careers

APRIL

Robotics collection acquisitions include the first minirobot—the Miniature Autonomous Robotic Vehicle—from Sandia National Laboratories

Song stylist Nancy Wilson donates two gowns

Numismatic collection receives Sacagawea dollar coin designs from artist Glenna Goodacre

The Museum acquired 6,441 objects and 225 cubic feet

of archival material in 2011.

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm Nancy Wilson and Director Emeritus Brent Glass Farrah Fawcett memorabilia

Curators Carlene Stephens and Shari Stout ready an early recording for scanning

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and

Innovation’s 2011 activities engaged the public with

invention and innovation through significant scholarly

work manifested in books, articles and presentations

and through the medium of exhibitions that reached

millions of people; inspired both young people and

adults with stimulating programs; and, in taking much of

our content online, reached audiences far beyond the

Smithsonian.

The Center finished out 2011 with the closing of

Invention at Play in the Lemelson Hall of Invention and

Spark!Lab in preparation for the Museum’s next phase

of renovations. Over two million people visited, learned

from and invented in these spaces since 2008. Our staff

looks forward to using what we’ve learned from them to

build our way toward the opening of a new exhibition,

Places of Invention, and a revamped Spark!Lab in 2015.

Highlights:

• The first Spark!Lab off the National Mall opened at the Nevada Discovery Museum in Reno, Nevada, in September.

• Staff Projects Initiative allowed Museum colleagues to research innovations in winemaking and mathematics re-creations as well as the technologies that enabled “supermarket sushi.”

• The Spark!Lab Outreach Kit Program brought our activities and philosophy to over 20,000 visitors at six museums around the country.

Programs:

• Pop-up Workshops with artist Carol Barton

• Innovative Lives: Kim Vandenbroucke

• Open Minds: 2011 NCIIA Student Inventors’ Showcase and Inventive Washington Tour

• NanoDays

• National Robotics Week with Innovative Lives: Dr. Gill Pratt

• Innovative Lives: Chuck Popenoe

• Innovative Lives: Daniella Reichstetter

• Moving Beyond Earth: Innovations in Space symposium held at the

National Air and Space Museum

LEMELSON CenterWe gratefully acknowledge

members of the Smithsonian Council

for American History for their

enthusiastic commitment throughout

the year. The Council is a membership

group for individuals who make

unrestricted contributions of $1,000

or more to support a variety of the

Museum’s critical needs, from the

preservation of national treasures

to the presentation of world-class

exhibitions and educational programs.

Founded in 2010, the Council is

a growing national network that

includes members from 26 states

who share a passion for history and

advocate for the Museum’s role

within their communities.

Members as of August 2012*Founding Members

SMITHSONIAN COUNCIL for American History

Anonymous (3)*John AdamsJames K. Asselstine and Bette J. Davis*Susan and Thomas Baxter*Mr. and Mrs. David E. Behring*Candice Bennett and William HewittJere and Bonnie Broh-Kahn*Marilyn L. Brown and Douglas N. MortonMr. J. Kevin Buchi and Dr. Kathleen M. BuchiGordon CrawfordMr. and Mrs. Harry L. Crisp II*Mr. and Mrs. A. Dano DavisMr. and Mrs. Loyd E. Ellis Mr. and Mrs. David FieldsPeggie Ann Findlay*Sarajane Foster*Evy and Paul FrankelJeff and Mary Lynn Garrett*Jayne and Walt Garrison*Karyn C. Gill and George McC. Gill, MDJohn GrayDrs. Mark Graham and Laneta Dorflinger*Peter and Rhondda Grant*Robert and Marilyn HaroutunianThomas E. Harvey and Cathleen P. Black*

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Lader*Cliff C. JonesDaniel A. HendersonJeff and Linda HendricksMr. and Mrs. Paul F. Hoch, Jr.Bill and Alice Konze*Mrs. Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg*Anthony LevandowskiShirley LooJeff and Annie LowdermilkElizabeth and Whitney MacMillan*James R. MellorBarry and Wendy MeyerThe Michelson Family Foundation*Lee MinshullMr. and Mrs. John R. MurrellStephan F. NewhouseLee and Carol Orr*Marc PachterKent and Jean PapsunMr. and Mrs. William H. ParkerPaul L. PeckBill and Joan PorterH. Lewis RapaportAbbe Raven and Martin Tackel

Matthew and Lisa RoseRichard Rosman and Fran Morris RosmanFrederick J. Ryan, Jr.Vicki Sant*Dr. and Mrs. Andrew ShivaMr. and Mrs. Albert H. Small*Michael and Meg SmithDoug and Betsy StilesNicholas F. Taubman*Bob Tuttle*Robert and Lynne UhlerMr. and Mrs. Togo D. West, Jr.*Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan*Judy C. Woodruff and Albert R. Hunt

Moving Beyond Earth symposium

Robbie, a DARPA ARM robot, playing games with visitors

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

Members of the Boardas of August 2012

The Honorable John F.W. RogersChairman of the Board

The Honorable Nicholas TaubmanVice-Chairman of the Board

Ellsworth H. Brown, Ph.D.

Mrs. Kathryn C. Brown

The Honorable Thad Cochran (R-MS)

The Honorable Philip Lader

Mr. Jack L. Martin

The Honorable Doris Matsui (D-CA)

Mr. Barry M. Meyer

Mr. Timothy J. O’Neill

Ms. Abbe Raven

Mr. Matthew K. Rose

Mr. David M. Rubenstein

Vicki Ruiz, Ph.D.

The Honorable Frederick J. Ryan, Jr.

Mr. Robert Uhler

Mr. James G. Vella

AlumniMr. David E. Behring

Mr. Michael Beschloss

Mr. Curt Bradbury

Charles F. Bryan Jr., Ph.D.

Mr. H.P. “Pete” Claussen

Mr. David M. Fields

Lesley Herrmann, Ph.D.

Ms. Irene Y. Hirano

Ms. Francine LeFrak

Mrs. Dorothy Lemelson

Mrs. Elizabeth MacMillan

Mr. James R. Mellor

Libby Haight O’Connell, Ph.D.

Elihu Rose, Ph.D.

The Honorable Ivan Selin

The Honorable Rodney E. Slater

Mr. Riley K. Temple

Mrs. Gail Berry West

Mr. Marvin D. Williams

Ms. Judy C. Woodruff

Ms. Tae Yoo

Ex Officio to the BoardG. Wayne CloughSecretary of the Smithsonian

Richard KurinUnder Secretary for History, Arts and Culture, Smithsonian Institution

Executive StaffJohn GrayThe Elizabeth MacMillan Director

David K. AllisonAssociate Director for Curatorial Affairs

Judy GradwohlThe MacMillan Associate Director for Education and Public Programs

Janice G. LiljaAssociate Director for Management and Museum Services

Margaret WebsterAssociate Director for External Affairs

Pedro ColonRenovation Program Manager

Melinda MachadoDirector, Office of Public Affairs

The Smithsonian gratefully acknowledges the individuals and organizations that made possible

numerous activities of the National Museum of American History in 2011.

Elizabeth and Whitney MacMillan

A. James Clark

kate spade new york

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Lifetime Television

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

The Honorable John F.W. Rogers

Peter and Rhondda Grant

The Argus Fund

Mrs. Dorothy Lemelson, The Lemelson Foundation

Donna and Marvin Schwartz

Warren and Barbara Winiarski

Raymond E. Beighley

Edward Straker

Booz Allen Hamilton

Richard Lounsbery Foundation

Siewchin Yong Sommer

Kenneth E. Behring

The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation

History Channel

Miljenko Mike Grgich

The Herb Alpert Foundation

Acknowledgements

This Highlights Report was created by:

EDITORS

Valeska M. HilbigDeputy Director of Public Affairs

Amy Scerba KarazsiaDirector of Individual Giving

DESIGN

Cyndi Wood & Michael MolanphyCreative Project Management, Inc. creativeprojectmgmt.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

NMAH Photographic ServicesHarold Dorwin Richard Strauss Hugh Talman

NASM Photographic ServicesEric Long

Joseph Romeo Photography

MUSEUM BOARD & Executive StaffTHANK YOU to Our Supporters

kate spade new york became the lead corporate sponsor of the American Stories exhibition in April 2011. The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through time by telling both well- and little-known stories about the American experience. It is designed to serve as an introductory experience to American history and as a dedicated space to feature new acquisitions that illustrate the breadth of the American experience. It opened to the public in April 2012.

A. James Clark made a major gift in August 2011 to create the A. James Clark Excellence in History Teaching Program, an innovative, two-year pilot program for K-12

social studies and history teachers. Museum educators travel to select school districts across the country and engage teachers in employing the national collections and everyday objects to help students understand the connections between the past and the present to make history personal, tangible and engaging.

In March 2011, Elizabeth and Whitney MacMillan made an extraordinary commitment to the Museum by establishing an endowment to support the Associate Director for Education and Public Programs. As the

MacMillan Associate Director, Judy Gradwohl is responsible for all of the Museum’s diverse educational programs. The MacMillans’ gift provides a perpetual source of funding and ensures that education and public programming remain among the highest priorities of the Museum.

National Museum of American History

Highlights Report 2011

LOOKING FORWARD New Exhibitions and Continuing Renovations

FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950–2000

November 2012

Julia Child’s beloved Cambridge, Mass., kitchen serves as the opening

chapter in the Museum’s story of FOOD. The Smithsonian’s first major

exhibition on food history looks at how new technologies and various social

and cultural shifts in the second half of the 20th century influenced major

changes in food, wine and eating in America.

West Exhibition Wing Renovation Underway

Under the leadership of Director John Gray, the Museum

is embarking on a strategic plan and beginning the

revitalization of its 120,000-square-foot west exhibition

wing. The renewed space will include a new multi-

media exhibition on American business history, a gallery

for the Lemelson Center for Invention and Innovation

with the popular hands-on science Spark!Lab space,

a gallery for the National Numismatic Collection and

public floors themed around American democracy and

popular culture.

American Stories

April 2012

American Stories is a signature

exhibition that takes a chronological

look at the people and events that

shaped the American experience

and showcases historic touchstones

through more than 100 objects. It is

the new home for the Ruby Slippers

while the Museum’s renovation

continues.